Good Cells Gone Wild

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Yep folks. Its true. All you ever needed to know about Life you learned in Grade 10 biology class. Of course, you were probably bored to tears and likely not listening to those little pearls of cellular wisdom that your biology teacher was sharing with you. Me too.

Perhaps it was the subject matter that was difficult to get excited about. Could you really get down with ATP? Go cycling with Krebs? Get all hot and bothered about Kelvin? (not really about biology but it sounded good :)

Perhaps it was the fact that my biology teachers were either mumbling, hunched relics with one foot in the grave or creepy, greasy dudes who looked like they probably had jars of gooey specimens lining their home refrigerators. Its a toss-up.

Not sure if times have changed all that much but, analogous to the random mutations that occur in nature, my husband did tell me that our son's Grade 10 biology teach this year was *pretty hot*.... Mrs D was her name - or Double D as she told her class of mostly teenage boys one day (which made for interesting dinner conversation the night our son told us this gem!)

Friday, July 13, 2012

Ok. Quick musing to clarify a few details just in case I put a total buzzkill to your upcoming weekend with my last post.

I still like beer. The taste of it. The touch of it. The texture. (I know which fans will get that reference).

Just because I have *got myself all healthy* doesn't mean I am a total whack job. You can have your health and have fun too. The challenge is all in the balance. The moderation.

Problem is, us folk don't take too nicely to not having things when we want or need them. . . and its shows in our waistlines. That was the gist of the last post. We just can't seem to partake in a measured or moderated manner. We take poorly as a species to self-discipline. Its hard. It takes dedication. But its not unachievable. If I can do it . . .well . . really . . anyone can do it!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Yeah – I am a hep cat.
I am hip to what all the cool kids are saying these days. One word statements that say it all. No fully worded sentences need apply.

Fail. Epic. Random. Same.

But, even these games are getting played out. Being
replaced with the latest kick of shortening words to within an inch of their
letters. Supe – short for super. Ush - (pronounced you-sh) - short for
usual. Obv - short for obvious or obviously – and
the one my two teenage boys and their friends seem to use the most. Obv!

And now, YOLO. You
Only Live Once (although technically, this is a phrase being shortened).
Perhaps it’s the result of the text-message-driven world we live in. Reducing everything we say and do in a day
into bit-sized glyphs that once resembled recognizable speech. A side effect of our wired world, if you
will, that allows us to connect to anyone or anything at the exact instant when
we need or desire it. The ultimate in Id satisfaction.

Or is it a symptom of something else?

We are an impatient lot.
We drive too fast. We demand
instant service. That was my parking spot! I don’t have to signal to get in your lane!! Those rules are for the other guy. We don’t say hello anymore. This
text is more important than you. The
waitress is too slow. Don’t you know I am in a hurry?? We walk, heads
down while texting. You will move for me. Must do ten things at same time. Why are these traffic lights so slow!!! Are those doughnuts? Even our thoughts are impatient :)

The fascination and obsession with all things fast and quick
continues on. From quickie marriages to
quickie divorces. From get-rich quick
schemes to quick weight loss plans.
Don’t even get me started on the narcotic-like obsession we have with
fast food! Have we lost our ability to focus
or is the need for instant gratification driving a darker, attention-deficit
demon within us?

Hold that thought while I get back on back on topic. . .

YOLO - *You Only Live Once*. The latest club anthem popularized by Drake
(a good ‘ol Canadian boy) in his latest album drop (of course, I must mention
Chris Brown here lest Team
Breezy gets all up in my face.) So what does this have to do with anything?

You Only Live Once. I
thought that would be a good anthem, a good motto for me as I embark on my
post-cancer life. I took the meaning as
. . I dodged a bullet. I have a second
chance in life so I am going to make the most of it. By loving, living and learning
to take care of this body and my health like I had never done before. And by golly, I was going to share my
experience with the world. Unleash the
hounds, as I said in my first post.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Hello World!.....I thought this title would be the perfect subject matter to launch the inaugural post for the Good Cells Gone Wild blog. Yes, folks. . . . the moment you have been waiting for has finally come. I have collected my thoughts and real-world experiences during my breast cancer journey over the last two years and it is time to unleash the hounds on an unsuspecting public. Aren't you the lucky ones!!

So, first things first. Why call it Good Cells Gone Wild? Well. . . because I think it is a hilarious play on the mammary success of the Joe Francis million-dollar franchise - considering my breast cancer diagnosis in 2010. Such a fascination with boobs in this world! Of course, post-double mastectomy and post-reconstruction surgery, I now have a serious rack thanks to good 'ol Canadian healthcare. With a nod to the healthcare taxes I have paid over the years, I lovingly call them my *government-issue guns*. For my US family and friends, no . . .I am not about to go all Charlton Heston/NRA'y on you but . . I just might go for an abridged version of the second amendment and have the *right-to-bare-my-new-charms*. I mean, these new girls are sick! I just hope Mr. Francis does not come after me for patent infringement like he did Madonna. We shall see!